Hello, and welcome
I’m Carly L. Bodnar, a stage & screen director, educator, and artist.
Throughout my career, three things have guided me and my work - creativity, connection, and compassion.
My creativity doesn’t fit neatly into a single box. It manifests itself in many different ways, including directing theater and film, acting, producing, teaching, and coaching. (And sometimes making seashell jewelry and candles!) Even in administrative or service roles, I’ve used my creativity for problem-solving and communicating effectively. Each new creative pursuit builds on my experiences, while allowing me to grow and challenge myself in new, exciting ways.
Regardless of how my creativity is manifesting, it’s driven by a desire to create connection. I love connecting with people, whether it’s with a huge audience watching a production I directed, or one-on-one over post-show drinks. I direct theater and film to spark a connection between artists and audiences. I teach to connect people with each other, so new creative communities can grow. I coach to help others connect with themselves, and the inherent power and creativity they have within.
All of this connection is in service of creating compassion. Storytelling is about being witnessed - we all want to be seen, understood, accepted. This focus on compassion and empathy informs the way I direct and coach. I always strive to witness, understand, and accept, which influences how I interact with colleagues and clients, and the type of work I create.
Thanks to these three ideas, my career has spanned multiple forms and followed several paths. As I continue my journey with a focus on directing and coaching, I know they will keep on guiding me to create and do work that is meaningful and necessary.
Throughout my career, three things have guided me and my work - creativity, connection, and compassion.
My creativity doesn’t fit neatly into a single box. It manifests itself in many different ways, including directing theater and film, acting, producing, teaching, and coaching. (And sometimes making seashell jewelry and candles!) Even in administrative or service roles, I’ve used my creativity for problem-solving and communicating effectively. Each new creative pursuit builds on my experiences, while allowing me to grow and challenge myself in new, exciting ways.
Regardless of how my creativity is manifesting, it’s driven by a desire to create connection. I love connecting with people, whether it’s with a huge audience watching a production I directed, or one-on-one over post-show drinks. I direct theater and film to spark a connection between artists and audiences. I teach to connect people with each other, so new creative communities can grow. I coach to help others connect with themselves, and the inherent power and creativity they have within.
All of this connection is in service of creating compassion. Storytelling is about being witnessed - we all want to be seen, understood, accepted. This focus on compassion and empathy informs the way I direct and coach. I always strive to witness, understand, and accept, which influences how I interact with colleagues and clients, and the type of work I create.
Thanks to these three ideas, my career has spanned multiple forms and followed several paths. As I continue my journey with a focus on directing and coaching, I know they will keep on guiding me to create and do work that is meaningful and necessary.
What I'm Working on...
THE BED SHOWL.A. Premiere: July 23rd-26th
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THE BED SHOW is an immersive, site-specific talk show where participation is strongly encouraged. Join co-hosts Sean and Nuria as they cover all things "bed culture”: bed hygiene, sleep habits, pillow talk conversations, along with their personal relationships with beds, sleep, love, and sexuality, staged in an actual bedroom for an intimate, cozy crowd. Think of it as the sleepover party you never had! TBS is an unforgettable night of intimate storytelling and games made for queers, by queers (and allies), just in time for Pride.
Ticket link for the LA Premiere (June 23-26) here! Thursday, June 25th featuring opener Jimmy Berry & Parking Space Comedy. "We all sleep. We all have lifelong relationships with our beds and the spaces where we rest. Most people experience love, intimacy, and sex, too. All of these things are a part of what we call "bed culture", which Nuria and I dive into exploring head on (or should we say, bed on?). The Bed Show is an immersive storytelling sleepover party--part storytelling show, part sleepover, part fun, part serious--and 100% good time. This is a show for anyone who has ever slept, ever laid down, ever dreamed, and for anyone who has close relationships in their life: be it platonic, romantic, or familial. This piece is a hilarious, candid look into me and Nuria's lives as performers and as people that celebrates the voices of a Black queer woman and a fat queer white person, that has something for everyone." -Creator, Sean Pollock |
Director | Coach | Artist
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Director
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ArtisticI started my artistic journey as an actor, performing in both traditional plays and devised works and studying a variety of acting techniques. I’ve also shared my knowledge as a teaching artist through various regional theater education programs, and am discovering a new passion for writing fiction and screenplays.
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